ReliefWeb

Over the last 20 years, photographer Marko Kokic has travelled to crisis hotspots around the world, documenting the impact of war, natural disasters and poverty on ordinary people. In this Q&A, Marko tells the stories behind his photographs, explains what it’s like to work in conflict areas, and underlines why **civilians caught in conflict are #NotATarget**.

1. What are some of the locations you have travelled to?

Marko: I have worked in a number of different contexts: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as Afghanistan, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Lebanon for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). I have also been to the northern and southern Caucasus, Haiti and Uganda, and have lived and worked in West Africa for several years.

All of these locations were in various stages of crisis: some were in the midst of full-out conflict, while others were simmering with violence. The one thing that ties them all together is the presence of civilians and the heavy cost they are forced to bear because of violence and war.

See the OCHA photostory on Exposure